Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) joined U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and other pro-choice lawmakers in a roundtable to discuss ways to restore and protect reproductive health care.  The roundtable is part of Secretary Becerra’s Reproductive Health Care series to highlight the work the Biden administration is doing to protect women’s access to reproductive health and contraception care, and comes ahead of the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision on January 22.

“Texas women and families are facing real dangers to their health and freedom as a result of these measures to ban reproductive health care,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “I appreciated the opportunity to share more about what is happening in Texas, and what it means for people across the country, with Secretary Becerra.  I look forward to continuing to work with the Biden administration to protect the health, dignity, and liberty of women and families across our country.”

Democratic House Whip Katherine Clark, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Pro-Choice Caucus Co-Chair Diana DeGette (CO-01), Pro-Choice Caucus Co-Chair Barbara Lee (CA-12), Rep. Valerie P. Foushee (NC-04), and Rep. Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) also participated in the roundtable.

Congresswoman Fletcher is a leader in the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus and has led several efforts to protect access to abortion. 

This week, the House is expected to vote on the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act, H.R. 6914, to require institutions of higher education to distribute limited resources and information to pregnant students about their existing rights, but does not include a requirement to share information about abortion services or contraception.  This legislation fails to give students a full range of reproductive health care options available to them. 

The House is also slated to vote on the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act, H.R. 6918, to allow federal funds to be directed toward anti-abortion counseling centers. 

In response to a lawsuit seeking to ban medication abortion across the country, Congresswoman Fletcher introduced the Protecting Reproductive Freedom Act, H.R. 2573, with Congressman Pat Ryan (NY-18) to reaffirm that the abortion pill was appropriately approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  Last year, she met with Vice President Harris and Pro-Choice Caucus leaders to discuss ways to preserve, protect, and restore reproductive rights across the U.S.   

She is the lead House sponsor of a bill to protect the right to travel between states to obtain an abortion, the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, H.R. 782, which passed the House in the last Congress, and which she reintroduced this year.  She has also introduced legislation challenging the bounty system created in Texas Senate Bill 8.  Congresswoman Fletcher was an original cosponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, H.R. 12, which establishes a statutory federal right to abortion free from medically unnecessary restrictions.